It has been a very BIG week for those of us who grew up watching Full House. Whether you were watching the show since its premiere in 1987 or if you watched re-runs on end after its conclusion in 1995, you've probably been pretty pumped about the new spin-off. The beloved Tanner family was finally back together this week as the Fuller House series premiered on Netflix. So many TV critics (like this one at the New York Times) have stated that the show is "[an] experience for you [like] your first kiss (a little sloppy) or your grandmother’s cookies (raisins, really?)." However, after watching the first episode, I'm not convinced the show is as bad as everyone says it is.
For me, Full House was a show that always left me in tears with smiles and laughs along the way. The cast was able to portray an ideal American family of the times, one that was struggling with the every day forces of life and were able to rise above the odds by leaning on each other and their familial love.
I think Fuller House is on its way to creating the same kind of feeling. Although I have only watched the first episode, I still found myself experiencing the same emotions I had so long ago. I laughed at the corny jokes because I knew that was to be expected -- you can't enter the Tanner household without experiencing all the cheese! I smiled at the nostalgia of favorite cast members -- Danny still loves cleaning, Jesse still sings "Forever," and Joey still plays with Mr. Woodchuck. And I cried -- widowed DJ has lost her husband, and her sister Stephanie and best friend Kimmy are more than willing to put their lives on hold to help DJ raise her three sons.
While I have yet to continue the series and watch the episodes that some say are just not worth it, I'm willing to sit through the remainder of this 13-episode season. I'm willing to smile, laugh and cry again with a family I adore. I'm willing to learn life lessons from TV again.
This kind of television just doesn't happen anymore. I want to watch TV shows that have something meaningful to say. There are far too many shows these days that focus on sex and violence to get ratings. There are only so many hours of crime and drugs I can take. There are only so many divorces and heartbreak that I can watch. While shows like that may be entertaining, they've been done over and over, and I personally am tired of the ridiculous repetition. I'm ready for a show like Fuller House that is all about the love and support of family. I'm ready for the nostalgia of the 90s when TV shows were cheesy and it was okay because they made you happy and taught you about life.
So yes, maybe the show will be a flop to the TV critics of the world, the top dogs in entertainment -- but I think that's because they've become so obsessed with ratings and money and the broken society we currently live in. But as for me, I will continue watching. I will continue smiling, laughing, and crying with this new generation of the Tanner family. And I will continue pining for the days when the love of a family was all you needed to get people's attention.
